Apparatus for etching semiconductor samples and a source for providing a gas by sublimation thereto

ABSTRACT

An etching apparatus for etching semi combustion samples may include one or more variable volume expansion chambers, two or more fixed volume expansion chambers, or combinations thereof in fluid communication with an etching chamber and a source of etching gas, such as xenon difluoride. The apparatus may further include a source of a mixing gas. An etching apparatus may also include a source of etching gas, an etching chamber in fluid communication with the source of etching gas, a flow controller connected between the source of etching gas and the etching chamber, and a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the etching chamber. A source for providing a gas by sublimation from a solid material is also provided, including a vacuum tight container and a mesh mounted in the interior of the vacuum tight container, wherein the mesh is adapted to receive and restrain the solid material.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/233,512 filed on Sep. 19, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for etching semiconductorsamples. More particularly, the present invention relates to anapparatus for etching semiconductor samples having a variable volumeexpansion chamber and to an apparatus having two or more fixed volumeexpansion chambers, wherein either apparatus may include an apparatusfor detecting the end point of the etching process. The presentinvention also relates to an improved source for providing a gas bysublimination, in particular a source for providing a gas bysublimination to an apparatus described herein.

BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The etching of silicon by xenon difluoride is well known. Xenondifluoride requires no external energy sources or ion bombardment toetch silicon, and it exhibits high selectivity to many metals,dielectrics, and polymers used in traditional integrated circuitprocessing, making it easy to integrate with other processes such asCMOS. One of the first references to the use of xenon difluoride insilicon etching is in H. F. Winters and J. W. Coburn, “The Etching ofSilicon with XeF₂ Vapor,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 70-73,January 1979, where they demonstrate the high selectivity of xenondifluoride to silicon versus silicon dioxide, silicon carbide, andsilicon nitride.

The high selectivity of xenon difluoride to silicon is very useful,particularly in the emerging field known as micro-electro-mechanicalsystems or MEMS. In MEMS, semiconductor based manufacturing technologyand processes are used to produce miniature mechanical devices. Oneexample of a miniature mechanical device produced using MEMS technologyis the integrated accelerometer described in S. J. Sherman, W. K. Tsang,T. A. Core, D. E. Quinn, “A Low Cost Monolithic Accelerometer,” 1992Symposium on VLSI Circuits, Digest of Technical Papers, Seattle, Wash.,USA, 4-6 Jun. 1992, p. 34-5, which has both a movable mechanicalstructure and accompanying circuitry to detect the motion of themechanical structure. The most popular application of this accelerometeris for automotive airbag applications whereby during a crash, themovable mechanical structure moves, and depending on the extent of themotion, the electrical signal produced by the circuitry will determineif the airbag should be deployed. The use of xenon difluoride as anetchant in the production of MEMS devices is well known and is describedin, for example, Pister, U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,480.

A number of prior art xenon difluoride etching systems have beendescribed. One example, described in Japanese Patent No. 02187025A,comprises a heated vacuum vessel holding a work piece into which xenondifluoride gas is introduced as the etchant. Another example, shownschematically in FIG. 1, is described in P. B. Chu, J. T. Chen, R. Yeh,G. Lin, J. C. P Huang, B. A. Warneke, and K. S. J. Pister, “ControlledPulse-Etching with Xenon Difluoride”, Transducers 1997, Chicago Ill.,16-19 Jun. 1997. This system uses a pulsed etching technique, whereby anintermediate chamber, referred to as an expansion chamber, is used topre-measure a quantity of xenon difluoride gas and to mix the xenondifluoride with other gases, such as nitrogen, to enhance the etchingprocess. The contents in the expansion chamber are then discharged intoa main chamber containing the silicon wafer to perform the etching ofthe silicon. After the xenon difluoride has been sufficiently reacted,the main chamber, and typically the expansion chamber as well, areevacuated through the use of a roughing or vacuum pump. This process isrepeated until the desired degree of etching of the silicon hasoccurred.

The largest drawback of the pulsed etch system described by Chu et al.relates to the cycling nature of the system. Specifically, since theexpansion chamber requires time to fill before the etch begins, is opento the main chamber during the etch, and is typically evacuated duringthe evacuation step of the cycle, it forms a rate-limiting step in theetching process. This limitation, or bottleneck arises primarily fromthe time it takes to refill the expansion chamber with xenon difluoridegas after the evacuation step of the previous cycle. The waiting timecan often be as long as the time of all of the other steps combined andtherefore requires the total process time, or the time the wafer spendsin the main chamber, to be approximately double the actual etching time.The term overhead is commonly used to refer to the difference betweenthe total process time and the actual etch time.

Yet another example of a xenon difluoride etching system is described inEuropean Patent No. EP 0 878824 A2. This etching system uses acontinuous flow of xenon difluoride gas, which is controlled by means ofa flow controller in combination with an expansion chamber, alsoreferred to as a reservoir. Although this process does not require thecycling as in the pulsed etching system of Chu, et al., it does tend towaste xenon difluoride since the xenon difluoride gas is constantlyflowing and resides in the main chamber only briefly. The relativelyexpensive nature of xenon difluoride crystals makes this a majorconcern. Furthermore, these continuous flow systems are much moresensitive to the geometry of the main chamber and to the placement ofthe xenon difluoride gas inlet hole(s) in the main chamber which mayresult in eddies in the flow of xenon difluoride gas.

In the MEMS and semiconductor industries, as in most manufacturingindustries, throughput in a manufacturing tool is a major concern. Thus,the system described in Chu, et al. may not be attractive to theseindustries because it has an inherently high overhead. As described inH. F. Winters and J. W. Coburn, “The etching of silicon with XeF₂vapor,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 70-73, January 1979,higher etching pressure, that is the pressure of the xenon difluoridegas during the etching process, leads to increased etch rate. Thus,processing time can be decreased and manufacturing throughout can beincreased by raising the etching pressure. However, raising the etchingpressure in a system such as that described in Chu et al. may not befeasible. FIG. 2 is a graph of the xenon difluoride solid vaporpressure, wherein pressures above the curve at a particular temperaturecause the vapor to solidify. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the sublimationpressure of xenon difluoride is approximately 3.8 Torr at roomtemperature or approximately 20° C. Thus, the pressure in the initialexpansion chamber in a system such as that described in Chu et al. islimited to approximately 3.8 Torr if the source of xenon difluoride gasis to be kept at room temperature. Although it is shown in FIG. 2 thatheating of the xenon difluoride yields a higher solid vapor equilibriumpressure, heating the xenon difluoride source also accelerates therecrystalization of the xenon difluoride. Ultimately, as the xenondifluoride recrystallizes, its exposed surface area falls, and thereforethe sublimation rate of the xenon difluoride from solid to gas falls aswell. Since xenon difluoride etching system throughput is based uponetching with xenon difluoride vapor, slower sublimation rates of xenondifluoride vaporhamper the performance of the system.

The ability to accurately determine the etching process end point so asto avoid excess etching is also important. In prior art dry etchingprocesses using xenon difluoride gas, end point detection is typicallyperformed visually. The device being processed is inspected through anoptical microscope and etching is stopped when the material beingremoved is not visible to the eye. Automated end point detection methodsusing non-optical techniques have not been described for xenondifluoride etching of silicon and related compounds. This is a criticallimitation when the process is under full computer control, as found insemiconductor-type cluster tools, and visual inspection is notconvenient or possible.

End-point detection systems have been described in the literature for anumber of semiconductor manufacturing, etching, and depositionprocesses, many of which include plasma processing. These have includedmethods based on optical emission as described in Guinn, et al., U.S.Pat. No. 5,877,032, zero order interferometry as described in Coronel etal., U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,761, RF voltage probing as described in Turneret al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,886, acoustic measurements as described inCadet et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,407, infrared emission measurements asdescribed in Gifford et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,023, atomicspectroscopy as described in Gelernt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,402,and residual gas analysis as described in Japanese Patent Nos. 11265878,11204509, and 11145067.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an etching apparatus including anetching chamber for holding a sample to be etched, a source of etchinggas, and a collapsible, variable volume expansion chamber in selectivefluid communication with the source of etching gas and the etchingchamber. The etching gas may comprise xenon difluoride with the sourceof the etching gas being a vacuum tight container holding xenondifluoride crystals. The apparatus may further include a source ofmixing gas such as nitrogen in selective fluid communication with theexpansion chamber. The apparatus may also further include a vacuum pumpin selective fluid communication with the expansion chamber and theetching chamber and a heating and control apparatus for controlling thetemperature of the etching chamber and the temperature of the expansionchamber. The variable volume expansion chamber may include a bellows ormay include a fixed volume chamber with a movable interior piston. Theapparatus may also have a residual gas analysis apparatus coupled to theetching chamber.

In operation, a sample is loaded into the etching chamber and theexpansion chamber is set to an initial volume. The etching gas and insome cases the mixing gas are fed into the expansion chamber. Theexpansion chamber is then placed in fluid communication with the etchingchamber and the expansion chamber is collapsed, thereby forcing the gasor gases into the etching chamber. The expansion chamber and the etchingchamber are maintained at temperatures at which the etching gas will notsolidify at the etch pressure. After the etching is complete, theetching chamber may be evacuated.

The present invention also relates to a method of etching a sample heldin an etching chamber at a desired etch pressure. According to themethod, a volume of a collapsible, variable volume expansion chamber isset to an initial volume. An etching gas, such as xenon difluoride, isfed into the expansion chamber from a source. The initial volume of thevariable volume expansion chamber is determined based on the desiredetch pressure, the volume of the etching chamber, and the sourcepressure. The expansion chamber is then placed in fluid communicationwith the etching chamber and the expansion chamber is collapsed. Duringthe method, the expansion chamber and the etching chamber are maintainedat temperatures at which the etching gas will not solidify at the etchpressure. The feeding step may include feeding a mixing gas, such asnitrogen, into the expansion chamber. The method may further include thesteps of taking the expansion chamber out of fluid communication withthe etching chamber after the collapsing step, repeating the setting andfeeding steps, determining that an etch process taking place in theetching chamber is complete, evacuating the etching chamber after thedetermining step, and repeating the placing and collapsing steps afterthe evacuating step. The determining step may include determining that apredetermined etch time has elapsed or analyzing gases drawn from theetching chamber and determining that the etch process is complete whenthe concentrations of one or more elements or compounds reaches a presetvalue.

The present invention also relates to an etching apparatus having anetching chamber for holding a sample to be etched, a source of etchinggas, such as xenon difluoride, a first expansion chamber in selectivefluid communication with the source of etching gas and the etchingchamber, and a second expansion chamber in selective fluid communicationwith the source of etching gas and the etching chamber. The apparatusmay further include a source of mixing gas, such as nitrogen, inselective fluid communication with the first and second expansionchambers and a second source of etching gas in selective fluidcommunication with the expansion chambers. The apparatus may alsofurther include a vacuum pump in selective fluid communication with theexpansion chambers and the etching chamber and a heating and controlapparatus for controlling the temperature of the etching chambers andthe temperature of the expansion chamber. A third expansion chamber inselective fluid communication with the source of etching gas and theetching chamber may also be provided. Each of the expansion chambers mayhave a fixed volume or may be variable volume expansion chambers. In oneembodiment, the apparatus includes three fixed volume expansion chambersof equal size. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes three fixedvolume expansion chambers having volumes A, 2A and 4A.

In operation, a sample is loaded into the etching chamber and one ormore of the expansion chambers, which may be fixed volume or variablevolume, are filled with the etching gas and in some cases the mixinggas. The expansion chamber is then placed in fluid communication withthe etching chamber and the variable volume expansion chambers, if any,are collapsed. As a result, the gases are transferred to the etchingchamber. The expansion chambers and the etching chamber are maintainedat temperatures at which the etching gas will not solidify at the etchpressure. After the etching is complete, the etching chamber may beevacuated.

The present invention also relates to an etching apparatus including asource of etching gas, such as xenon difluoride, an etching chamber inselective fluid communication with the source of etching gas, a flowcontroller connected between the source of etching gas and the etchingchamber and a vacuum pump in selective fluid communication with theetching chamber. A source of mixing gas in selective fluid communicationwith the etching chamber and a second flow controller connected betweenthe source of mixing gas and the etching chamber may also be provided.The source of etching gas may comprise a vacuum tight container having amesh mounted in the interior thereof, the mesh being adapted to hold asolid material, such as xenon difluoride crystals, used to generate theetching gas. In operation, this configuration provides for a continuousflow of source and in some cases mixing gas and/or gases to the etchingchamber.

The present invention also relates to a source for providing a gas, suchas an etching gas for an etching apparatus, by sublimation from a solidmaterial. The source includes a vacuum tight container and a meshmounted in the interior of the vacuum tight container, wherein the meshis adapted to hold the solid material. The vacuum tight container mayhave a cylindrical shape, and the mesh may have a W-shaped or aWW-shaped cross section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of thepresent invention, taken in conjunction with the following drawing, inwhich like reference characters refer to like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art etching apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the solid vapor pressure of xenon difluoride;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A through 4D illustrate various embodiments of a variable volumeexpansion chamber according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to asecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to athird embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to afourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to afifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9A and 9C are cross-sectional diagrams of prior art vacuum tightcontainers for providing a source of gas through sublimation;

FIG. 9B is a cross sectional diagram of a vacuum tight container forproviding a source of gas through sublimation according to an aspect ofthe present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to asixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to aseventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to aneighth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus according to aninth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 3 shows an etching apparatus according to the present invention.The apparatus includes etching chamber 27 into which the sample to beetched is placed. Etching chamber 27 is preferably made from a materialthat will not react with the etching gas such as machined aluminum orstainless steel and preferably has a solid transparent lid made from anon-reactive material such as polycarbonate. An optional sample loadlock 28 may be provided for loading the sample into the etching chamber27. Also included are variable volume expansion chamber 26, xenondifluoride source 25, which may comprise a vacuum tight container suchas a lecture bottle or micro cylinder such as those available fromWhitey Co., a Swagelok Company, of Highland Heights, Ohio, and drynitrogen source 24, which may comprise a standard gas cylinder ofsemiconductor grade nitrogen. Numerous other gases could be used in theplace of nitrogen including argon and helium. Connected betweenexpansion chamber 26 and nitrogen source 24 and xenon difluoride source25 is a gas valving manifold comprising pneumatically actuated diaphragmor bellows valves 1 through 9 and needle valves 14 and 15 thatselectively adjust the flow of the gases. Pressure measuring devices 20and 21, preferably capacitance manometers, such as the Type CT27available from MKS Instruments of Andover, Mass., are provided in theline between variable volume expansion chamber 26 and etching chamber27. Roughing pump 23, typically a rotary vane pump, with associatedvalves 11, 12, 13, and 17 and residual gas analysis apparatus 22 withassociated vacuum valve 16 are connected as shown.

The components of the apparatus are interconnected with standardstainless steel tubing or the like, and an automatic heating and controlapparatus 19 is provided to regulate the temperature of the apparatuscomponents. A suitable example of automatic heating and controlapparatus 19 is the QUAD-3JRG-11XX controller and various thermocouplesand heaters available from Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company of St.Louis, Mo. Automatic heating and control apparatus 19 maintains the gasvalving manifold, expansion chamber 26 and process chamber 27 at aconstant temperature between 21 and 100 degrees Celsius, and preferablyat 42 degrees Celsius, a temperature at which, as shown in FIG. 2, thesolid vapor pressure of xenon difluoride is 15 Torr. Controlling thetemperature of the etchant gas and the surrounding vacuum systemprevents the condensation of the xenon difluoride gas onto the walls ofthe vacuum system and assists in tuning the etching process.

The variable volume expansion chamber 26 is a chamber for holding vapor,the interior volume of which can be selectively adjusted. Variablevolume expansion chamber 26 may be made from commercially availablestainless steel edge welded bellows such as those shown at referencenumeral 60 in FIG. 4A in a compressed state and FIG. 4B in an expandedstate. Bellows 60 may be mounted on rigid support mechanism 65 as shownin FIG. 4C to ensure that the bellows 60 are compressed and expandedlinearly, resulting in a longer life. As used in the apparatus of thepresent invention, bellows 60 may be compressed or expanded manually, oralternatively, bellows 60 may be fitted to motor drive 70 as shown inFIG. 4D for automatic compression and expansion. Suitable bellows areavailable as a single stand-alone component from the Kurt J. LeskerCompany, of Clairton, Pa. Alternatively, variable volume expansionchamber 26 may be manufactured using a fixed volume vessel incorporatingan interior sliding seal piston arrangement. The piston in such anarrangement may be driven either manually or automatically through useof a motor drive for collapsing variable volume expansion chamber 26.

Xenon difluoride crystals are typically supplied in vacuum tight bottleshaving an appropriate isolation valve. Such bottles may be used assource 25 with the isolation valve being valve 2. In operation, xenondifluoride source 25, which could comprise several bottles or containersconnected by a manifold (not shown), is connected to the etchingapparatus shown in FIG. 3 and a vacuum system purge sequence isinitiated. In particular, valves 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 17 are openedand roughing pump 23 evacuates all of the interconnected components. Theapparatus is then flushed with dry clean nitrogen or other gas fromsource 24 by opening valves 1 and 4 and subsequently re-evacuated. Thisprocedure is preferably repeated three times, after which, with theapparatus under vacuum, valves 12 and 17 are closed and the user isprompted to open valve 2 connected to the xenon difluoride source 25.

A sample to be etched is loaded into the etching chamber according tothe following method. First, load lock chamber 28 is vented and thesample is loaded onto the transfer arm of load lock chamber 28. Loadlock chamber 28 is closed and subsequently evacuated by opening valve13. Thereafter, gate valve 18 between load lock chamber 28 and evacuatedetching chamber 27 is opened. The sample is transferred into etchingchamber 27 and gate valve 18 to load lock chamber 28 is closed.

The system parameters to be chosen by the user include one or more of:xenon difluoride to nitrogen gas ratio, etch time, etch pressure, andnumber of cycles. The xenon difluoride to nitrogen gas ratio refers tothe ratio of xenon difluoride to nitrogen gas by partial pressure to beintroduced into etching chamber 27 and is controlled by selectivelyopening the valves of the gas valving manifold. The etching gas ispreferably fed into the expansion chamber first, before any mixing gas.The etch time is the time the etching gas mixture is allowed to remainin etching chamber 27 before etching chamber 27 is evacuated. The etchtime may begin when expansion chamber 26 is placed in fluidcommunication with etching chamber 27 and may end when such fluidcommunication is terminated or when etching chamber 27 is evacuated. Theetch pressure refers to the pressure inside etching chamber 27 while thesample is being etched, i.e., the pressure when the gas mixture isinside etching chamber 27. The number of cycles refers to the number oftimes the etch procedure is repeated for the sample in etching chamber27. The precise values for each of these parameters is dependent on andwill thus vary with the nature of the sample to be etched and may bechosen by one of skill in the art.

When the etch process is initiated, the expansion chamber 26 isevacuated using roughing pump 23 by opening valve 11. Valve 11 is thenclosed and the variable volume expansion chamber 26 is set to thedesired initial volume. Choosing the initial fill volume of variablevolume expansion chamber 26, for example, by compressing or expandingthe bellows or by moving the interior piston, sets the etch pressurebecause when variable volume expansion chamber 26 is collapsed, forexample, manually or under motor control, substantially all of theetching gas mixture will be transferred from variable volume expansionchamber 26 to etching chamber 27. If variable volume expansion chamber26 is set to an initial volume that is equal to the volume of etchingchamber 27, then the etch pressure after variable volume expansionchamber 26 is collapsed will be substantially equal to the pressure invariable volume expansion chamber 26. If the initial volume of expansionchamber 26 is set to some multiple X of the volume of etching chamber27, then the etch pressure after the expansion chamber is collapsed willbe approximately equal to the same multiple X of the pressure in thevariable volume expansion chamber 26.

After the initial volume of variable volume expansion chamber 26 is set,valves 4, 5, 8, and 9 are opened in the appropriate sequence and thedesired ratio of etching and mixing gasses is allowed to feed or flowinto the expansion chamber 26 until an initial pressure set point chosenby the user as measured by pressure measuring device 20 is obtained.Valves 14 and 15 are needle valves preset to a pre-fixed open position.Alternatively, variable volume expansion chamber 26 may be extendedduring the fill period.

When the initial pressure set point in variable volume expansion chamber26 is reached, valves 4, 5, 8, and 9 are closed, valve 10 is opened andthe variable volume expansion chamber 26 is collapsed by compressingbellows 60 or by driving a piston provided as a part of variable volumeexpansion chamber 26. As a result, substantially all of the gascontained in variable volume expansion chamber 26 is transferred toetching chamber 27, which reaches its final process pressure as measuredby pressure measuring device 21. Valve 10 is then closed and a systemtimer in automatic heating and control apparatus 19 is started. If thenumber of cycles to be performed is greater than one, variable volumeexpansion chamber 26 is extended to its initial position and refilledwith process gas from sources 24 and 25. The ability to refill variablevolume expansion chamber 26 while the etch process is taking place inetching chamber 27 is advantageous because it increases throughput byallowing a filled variable volume expansion chamber 26 to be ready to goas soon as the etching cycle is complete. This can be contrasted toprior art systems such as that described in Chu et al. which requiresthe expansion chamber to be open to the etching chamber during theentire etch process thereby preventing it from being refilled untilafter the etch cycles is complete. Before refilling begins, variablevolume expansion chamber 26 may be executed by roughing pump 23 byopening valve 11. Variable volume expansion chamber 26 may optionally becooled to room temperature before refilling, thereby allowing more gasto enter.

The process of collapsing variable volume expansion chamber 26 that isset to a volume larger than the volume of etching chamber 27 in thepresent apparatus thus enables xenon difluoride gas to be supplied toetching chamber 27 at high pressure without exposing the xenondifluoride vapor from source 25, which is typically at room temperature,to pressures that would otherwise force it to solidify. This is possiblebecause the automatic heating and control apparatus 19 maintains thevacuum system, particularly the gas valving manifold; variable volumeexpansion chamber 26; etching chamber 27; and the interconnecting tubingat a high enough temperature according to the parameters of FIG. 2 suchthat the xenon difluoride vapor does not solidify. According to anaspect of the present invention that contemplates a computer controlledsystem, when the user sets the desired etch pressure, the controlelectronics set the etching temperature by setting automatic heating andcontrol apparatus 19 to the appropriate value determined in accordancewith the parameters in FIG. 2. It should be noted that it is notnecessary that each of the components of the vacuum systems be kept atthe same temperature. Rather, it is necessary that each of thecomponents be at a temperature that is at least as high as thetemperature at which the xenon difluoride gas will not solidify.

In addition, when variable volume expansion chamber 26 is collapsed, thexenon difluoride gas is forced out of the variable volume expansionchamber 26 and into etching chamber 27. Because the xenon difluoride andnitrogen gases are forced into etching chamber 27, etching can beginsooner and process speed is increased as compared to the prior artdescribed in Chu et al., which utilized a fixed expansion chamberwherein the process gas has to naturally flow from the expansion chamberto the etching chamber. Forcing the gas out of variable volume expansionchamber 26 also allows more of the gas, and in particular the xenondifluoride gas, to be utilized during the etch, which conserves thexenon difluoride crystals.

When the etch time has elapsed, valves 12 and 17 are opened and roughingpump 23 evacuates etching chamber 27. When a sufficiently low pressure,preferably on the order of 50 milliTorr, is achieved, valves 12 and 17are closed and the process is repeated until the total number of presetetch cycles is completed. Valve 10 may optionally be opened so thatvariable volume expansion chamber 26 may be evacuated simultaneouslywith etching chamber 27. In this instance, however, variable volumeexpansion chamber 26 cannot be refilled until after this evacuationstep.

When all of the etch cycles have been completed, variable volumeexpansion chamber 26 is set to its maximum volume position. Valves 12and 17 are opened, and roughing pump 23 evacuates the etching chamber27. Valves 12 and 17 are then closed and etching chamber 27 is filledwith dry nitrogen gas from source 24 by opening the appropriate valvesin the gas valving manifold. This procedure is preferably repeated threetimes, which flushes out etching chamber 27, leaving it in a finalevacuated state. Valve 10 may also be opened during the excavation stepsso that variable volume expansion chamber 26 may be evacuated andflushed along with etching chamber 28.

Next, gate valve 18 between the load lock chamber 28 and etching chamber27 is opened. The sample is transferred into the load lock chamber 28and gate valve 18 to load lock chamber 28 is closed. Load lock chamber28 is vented and the sample is unloaded from the transfer arm.

Additionally, if variable volume expansion chamber 26 is large enough,for example ten times as large as etching chamber 27, and a conductancelimiting device, such as a butterfly valve, for example, a Type 153butterfly valve available from MKS Instruments of Andover, Mass., isinstalled in the roughing pump line adjacent valve 12, the etchingapparatus can be operated in a quasi-continuous mode with a set desiredpressure in etching chamber 27 by controlling the rate at whichexpansion chamber 26 collapses, and thus the rate that gas istransferred to etching chamber 27, and the degree of operation of theroughing pump 23, and thus the rate at which gas is removed from etchingchamber 27.

Moreover, if a quick response valve is installed in the roughing pumpline, brief pulses from roughing pump 23 during the etching process,i.e., when etching chamber 27 is full of gas, may be used to flush someof the etching by-products from etching chamber 27 and provide agitationto increase the etching effectiveness. Fresh xenon difluoride gas mightbe also drawn into etching chamber 27 during the brief pumping pulse byopening valves 2, 5, 9 and 10.

A second embodiment of an apparatus according to the present inventionis shown in FIG. 5. The apparatus shown in FIG. 5 includes secondvariable volume expansion chamber 30. Alternatively, variable volumeexpansion chambers 26 and 30 may be replaced by fixed volume expansionchambers having the same or different fixed volumes. The configurationshown in FIG. 5, whether using fixed or variable volume expansionchambers, allows for increased and variable capacity in terms of theamount of gas that can be transferred to etching chamber 27 during eachcycle. Furthermore, if the expansion chambers shown in FIG. 5, whetherfixed or variable volume, are each provided with separate fluidconnections to sources 24 and 25, and if a separate fluid connectionfrom expansion chambers to etching chamber 27 is provided, as is thecase with the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, throughput may be increasedby allowing one expansion chamber to fill while the other is being usedto etch. Furthermore, additional expansion chambers of fixed and/orvariable volume in any combination can be added in a similar fashion.Valves 31 and 32 and associated tubing connected to roughing pump 23 maybe provided to enable the expansion chambers to be evacuated withoutgoing through etching chamber 27.

Referring to FIG. 6, a third embodiment of the present invention isshown that utilizes multiple fixed volume expansion chambers ofdifferent volumes. The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 includes three fixedvolume expansion chambers 36A, 35B and 36C connected to the gas valvingmanifold through valves 33, 34 and 37. In addition, valves 31, 32 and 35are provided to allow fixed volume expansion chambers 36A, 36B and 36Cto be evacuated using roughing pump 23. Although three fixed volumeexpansion chambers are shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to use two fixedvolume expansion chambers or four or more fixed volume expansionchambers. One very flexible combination of fixed volume expansionchambers is to have, for example, three fixed volume expansion chamberssuch as 36A, 36B and 36C, one of volume A, a second of volume 2 times A,and a third of volume 4 times A. This arrangement allows, throughselecting different combinations of fixed volume expansion chambers, arange of total volume from A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, to 9A that canbe supplied to the etching chamber 27 for etching by opening theappropriate valves and allowing process gas to flow into etching chamber27. This flexibility is particularly attractive for process developmentwhereby users of the equipment can quickly identify the best total sizedexpansion chamber for their application.

A fourth embodiment of the apparatus configuration is shown in FIG. 7.The apparatus shown in FIG. 7 is similar to that shown in FIG. 3 exceptthat load lock components 18, 28, and 13 have been removed. In manyresearch applications, the ability to place the wafers directly into theetching chamber 27 is acceptable, and in some cases, preferred over theautomated handling which accompanies a load lock system. Also, as shownin FIG. 7, an additional nitrogen source 24 and associated valve 40 areprovided and are intended to be used for flushing the apparatus.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7, a residual gas analysis, or RGA,apparatus 22 may be used to determine when the etch process is complete.RGA apparatus 22 is connected to etching chamber 27 through variableinlet valve 16. RGA apparatuses are well known and generally comprise amass spectrometer or quadrupole analyzer, vacuum valves, a real timecalibration independent-type gas unit, a control valve, and an RGAcontrol unit. The RGA control unit is equipped with a control processorand related software for high-speed data acquisition and for generatingdata analysis and process control commands. If the vacuum level in theetching chamber is low enough, the mass spectrometer or quadrupoleanalyzer can be installed in the etching chamber 27 itself. Gasby-products from the etching process are pumped through the variableinlet valve 16 and analyzed in the RGA apparatus 22. A computercontroller displays a plot of signal intensity versus time. A suitableRGA apparatus is the OmniStar system with corrosive preparation fromPfeiffer Vacuum of Asslar, Germany.

The chemical formula that represents the etch process is as follows:2XeF₂+Si=>2 Xe+SiF₄When the xenon difluoride gas is brought into the etching chamber 27containing a silicon wafer, the etching process can be monitored on theoutput screen of RGA apparatus 22 by monitoring signals representing theconcentrations of the elements and compounds in this formula. RGAapparatus 22 can be set to monitor any or all of the XeF₂ signal, the Xesignal and the SiF₄ signal. When the etching reaction is complete, thesesignals will reach some near-constant value, assuming there is nopumping occurring. The etching apparatus' control software can be set totrigger a stop to the etch process when either the XeF₂, the Xe or theSiF₄ signal, or any combination of two or more of these signals, reachesa preset value. For example, in many cases where there is a finiteamount of exposed silicon to be etched, the XeF₂ signal should decreasewith time as the etch process is performed and then level out to a nearconstant value when no more XeF₂ is being used to etch the wafer and theremaining gas is idle in the process chamber. This example assumes ahypothetical “last pulse” where there is some silicon remaining at thebeginning of the etch pulse and none or very little at the end.

A fifth embodiment of the apparatus configuration is shown in FIG. 8.This configuration provides a continuous flow etch using xenondifluoride. The apparatus shown in FIG. 8 is similar to that shown inFIG. 3, except that variable volume expansion chamber 26 has beenremoved along with all of the supporting valves. In addition, flowcontrollers 50 and 51 have been added. One suitable flow controller isthe Type 1179A mass flow controller available from MKS Instruments ofAndover, Mass., although other types of well known flow controllers mayalso be used. Unlike the apparatus described in European PatentApplication No. EP 0 878 824 A2, the apparatus shown in FIG. 8 does notemploy a reservoir to provide a continuous flow of xenon difluoride.With sufficient exposed surface area of xenon difluoride crystals, theproduction of xenon difluoride vapor by sublimation is sufficient toetch continuously. Methods of increasing the exposed surface area ofxenon difluoride crystals include the use of wide diameter containers,containers having internal trays, and the design shown in FIG. 9B.

FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional drawing of a vertically orientedstandard gas cylinder 119 containing xenon difluoride crystals 200. FIG.9B shows the same cylinder 119 with a mesh 201 provided inside adaptedto hold the xenon difluoride crystals 200 and to directly expose more ofthe surface area of xenon difluoride crystals 200. According to oneembodiment, the mesh 201 is W-shaped, but more complex shapes can bemade as well to further increase the exposed surface area, such as aWW-shaped cross-section. The mesh 201 is inserted into the cylinderbefore filling it with the xenon difluoride crystals 200. The meshshould be welded, epoxied, taped, or otherwise attached to the wall ofcylinder 119 at the edge 202 of the mesh 201. The insertion of the mesh201 into the cylinder 119 is best done before the neck of the cylinderis created for ease of access into the cylinder. Insertion is, however,still possible to accomplish after the neck has been created due to therestorative nature of the mesh 201 which allows the mesh 201 tonaturally re-expand into its full size after being squeezed into theneck of the cylinder 119. Furthermore, the use of the mesh 201 is notlimited to standard gas cylinders, but can be used with any number ofcustom designed vacuum tight containers. The mesh 201 may be made of anumber of non-reactive materials including aluminum, stainless steel,and Teflon. The size of the openings in the mesh 201 is selected to besmaller than the majority of the xenon difluoride crystals 200. Atypical mesh opening size would therefore be approximately 1 millimeter.

As an example of the increase in the directly exposed surface area thatcan be obtained using the cylinder design in FIG. 9B is illustrated. Astandard lecture bottle or cylinder has an inside diameter ofapproximately 1.75 inches. When the cylinder is oriented as in FIG. 9A,the directly exposed surface area of the xenon difluoride crystals 200is approximately 2.4 square inches. A typical lecture bottle allows fora mesh 201 of at least 8 inches tall. Approximating the directly exposedsurface area to be comprised of the lateral surface areas of a rightcircular cone and a portion of a right circular cone, and assuming thatthe bottoms of the W are at the middle of the radius of the inside ofthe cylinder and that the xenon difluoride crystals 200 are filled to 7inches, the exposed surface area in the configuration shown in FIG. 9Bis approximately 40 square inches. As a final comparison, if the bottleis tilted as indicated in FIG. 9C, the directly exposed surface area canbe increased relative to the configuration shown in FIG. 9B, but to lessthan approximately 12 square inches, which is still far less than thatwhich can be attained using the mesh 201.

It should be pointed out that the use of attached mesh 201 allows forthe use of narrow diameter cylinders or bottles to produce highsublimation rates of xenon difluoride. The compact nature of narrowcylinders or bottles is particularly attractive in minimizing theoverall dimensions of the equipment used to etch silicon materials.Additionally, a large exposed surface area can be maintained even whenthe cylinder or bottle is mounted vertically which further adds to theconvenience of mounting in equipment. Also, since the mesh 201 isattached to the cylinder or bottle, the possibility that xenondifluoride crystals might make their way around the top edges of themesh if the bottle is tipped or jostled is avoided, which makes thecylinders or bottles easy to transport.

A sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 10. Theapparatus shown in FIG. 10 comprises etching chamber 126 and twoexpansion chambers 117 and 123. Etching chamber 126 preferably comprisesa machined block of aluminum with a lid preferably made of a solidtransparent material such as polycarbonate to allow the observation ofthe etch process. Expansion chambers 117 and 123 are fixed volumechambers and may comprise aluminum or stainless steel cylinders. Theapparatus shown in FIG. 10 preferably includes a heating and controlapparatus such as heating and control apparatus 19 shown in FIGS. 3, 5,6, 7 and 8 to prevent the condensation of the xenon difluoride andnitrogen gasses onto the walls of the tubing and the valve components.The pressure in etching chamber 126 is monitored using pressure sensor127, which preferably comprises a capacitance manometer, a suitableexample of which is the Type CT27 from MKS Instruments of Andover, Mass.Vacuum pump 128, typically a rotary vane vacuum pump, is provided toevacuate one or more of etching chamber 126 and expansion chambers 117and 123 by selectively opening valves 115, 104 and 112.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 10 includes two gas sources 119 and 121 thatcomprise gas cylinders such as lecture bottles. Xenon difluoride gas isgenerated from xenon difluoride crystals through sublimation in thesources 119 and 121. Two sources 119 and 121 of xenon difluoride gasprovides increased capacity and added flexibility for the apparatus. Forexample, one source could be a large bottle and the other source couldbe a smaller bottle. Also, one of the sources could contain higherquality, higher purity xenon difluoride crystals than the other so thatone source could be used for etching that requires greater precision,such as during commercial production, whereas the other could be usedfor etching that does not require the same level of precision, such asin research and development applications. The components shown in FIG.10 are interconnected by standard stainless steel tubing or the like.

In operation, after etching chambers 126 and, optionally, expansionchambers 117 and 123 have been evacuated, xenon difluoride gas isallowed to enter the apparatus by opening diaphragm or bellowspneumatically operated valves 101 and 102. The xenon difluoride gas isallowed to enter expansion chambers 117 and 123 by selectively openingthe pneumatically actuated valves 105 and 108. The pressure in expansionchambers 117 and 123 is measured using pressure sensors 118 and 124,which are preferably capacitance manometers. A mixing gas from source120 may be added to the expansion chambers 117 and 123. The mixing gasis typically nitrogen, although other gases such as argon and helium maybe used. Also, an additional source 120 having an alternative mixing gascould be provided such that the mixing gas entering expansion chamber117 is different than the mixing gas entering expansion chamber 123. Forexpansion chamber 117, the mixing gas flows through pneumaticallyoperated valve 113, through needle valve 116 to provide precise flowcontrol, and through another pneumatically operated valve 103. A similarvalve configuration is provided for expansion chamber 123 throughpneumatically operated valves 114 and 111 and needle valve 122. Once thepressure in expansion chambers 117 and 123 has reached the set pointdefined by the user, as measured by pressure sensors 118 and 124, thegas contained in the expansion chambers 117 and 123 is selectivelyallowed to flow into and enter etching chamber 126 by selectivelyopening pneumatically operated valves 106 and 109.

Thus, the apparatus shown in FIG. 10 overcomes the rate-limiting orbottleneck problem of the system described in Chu et al. and shown inFIG. 1 because one expansion chamber, for example expansion chamber 117,can be used to etch a sample in etching chamber 126 by opening valve106, while another expansion chamber, in this example expansion chamber123, is being filled with gas. After the etch cycle is completed usingthe expansion chamber 117, etching chamber 126 can be evacuated and thenext etching cycle can begin by opening valve 109 and allowing the gasin expansion chamber 123 to enter etching chamber 126. This process canbe repeated for as many etching cycles as desired. Down time betweenetching cycles is therefore eliminated while the second expansionchamber fills with gas. As a further alternative, the apparatus shown inFIG. 10 may be provided with RGA apparatus 22 connected to etchingchamber 126 in order to detect etch process completion in the mannerdescribed above.

Alternatively, one or both of expansion chambers 117 and 123 may be avariable volume expansion chamber such as those described in connectionwith FIG. 3, in which case the apparatus shown in FIG. 10 would useheating and control apparatus 19 to maintain the temperature of theapparatus component at a level above the level at which the xenondifluoride gas would solidify.

Pneumatically operated valve 107 allows the xenon difluoride gas tobypass expansion chambers 117 and 123 and diffuse directly from sources119 and 121 to etching chamber 126. Additionally, etching chamber 126may be vented/purged with the mixing gas from source 120 between samplesby opening pneumatically operated valve 110, in which case the flow ofthe venting/purging gas is controlled through needle valve 125.Expansion chambers 117 and 123 may also be vented/purged with the mixinggas by additionally opening valves 106 and 109.

FIG. 11 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention similar tothe embodiment shown in FIG. 10 but having three expansion chambers 117,123 and 134 rather than two. The addition of expansion chamber 134 isaccomplished by adding valve 131, which is identical to valves 113 and114, valve 132, which is identical to valves 116 and 122, valve 133,which is identical to valves 103 and 111, valve 130, which is identicalto valves 105 and 108, valve 129, which is identical to valves 106 and109, valve 136, which is identical to valves 104 and 112, and pressuresensor 135, which is identical to pressure sensors 118 and 124.Expansion chambers 117, 123 and 134 may be of the same volume or ofdifferent volumes such as those shown and described in connection withFIG. 6.

FIG. 12 shows a variation of the three expansion chamber configurationof FIG. 8 wherein commonly available flow controllers 140, 141, 142,143, and 144 have been added. An example of a suitable flow controllerwould be the Type 1179A mass flow controller available from MKSInstruments of Andover, Mass. Flow controllers 140, 141, 142, 143 and144 allow the flow rate of each gas to be accurately monitored, which isparticularly useful when etching continuously rather than using etchingcycles. For example, a continuous, accurately controlled etching flowcan be produced by opening valve 101, controlling the flow of xenondifluoride gas using flow controller 141, and opening valve 107. Ifdesired, a mixing gas may be added by opening valve 110 and controllingthe flow of the mixing gas using flow controller 145. Additional xenondifluoride flow can be provided by opening valve 102 and controlling theflow using flow controller 142. The gases are drawn through theapparatus using the vacuum pump 128 by opening valve 115. Furthermore,at 115, to control the conductance of the vacuum pump 128, and henceadjust the rate that the etching chamber 126 is evacuated by the vacuumpump 128, a butterfly or throttle valve could be added to valve 115 suchas the Type 153 available from MKS Instruments of Andover, Mass.

FIG. 13 shows a simplified controlled flow apparatus, in which theexpansion chambers shown in FIG. 12 have been removed along with all ofthe supporting valves and pressure sensors. The flow controllers 141 and142 associated with sources 119 and 121 have been replaced with a singleflow controller 150. Also shown is an additional valve 151 whichprovides the ability to isolate the flow controller 145 from source 120.This same valve could be added before flow controller 145 in FIG. 12 aswell. Unlike the apparatus described in European Patent Application No.EP 0 878 824 A2, the apparatus in FIG. 13 does not employ a reservoir toprovide a continuous flow of xenon difluoride gas. With sufficientexposed surface area of xenon difluoride crystals, the production ofxenon difluoride vapor is sufficient to etch continuously. Methods ofincreasing the exposed surface area of xenon difluoride crystals havebeen described above in connection with FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C.

The terms and expression which have been employed herein are used asterms of description and not as limitation, and there is no intention inthe use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of thefeatures shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognizedthat various modifications are possible within the scope of theinvention claimed. Although particular embodiments of the presentinvention have been illustrated in the foregoing detailed description,it is to be further understood that the present invention is not to belimited to just the embodiments disclosed, but that they are capable ofnumerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions.

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A method of etching a sample held in an etching chamber at a desired etch pressure, comprising the steps of: setting a volume of a collapsible, variable volume expansion chamber to an initial volume and feeding an etching gas into said expansion chamber from a source having a source pressure; placing said expansion chamber in fluid communication with said etching chamber; collapsing said expansion chamber; and maintaining said expansion chamber and said etching chamber at temperatures at which said etching gas will not solidify at said etch pressure.
 15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said initial volume is determined by multiplying a volume of said etching chamber by said etch pressure and dividing a result of said multiplication by said source pressure
 16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of: removing said expansion chamber from fluid communication with said etching chamber after said collapsing step; repeating said setting and feeding steps; determining that an etch process taking place in said etching chamber is complete; evacuating said etching chamber after said determining step; and repeating said placing and collapsing steps after said evacuating step.
 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said determining step comprises determining that an etch time has elapsed.
 18. A method according to claim 16, wherein said determining step comprises analyzing gasses drawn from said said etching chamber and determining that said etch process is complete when the concentrations of one or more elements or compounds reaches a preset value.
 19. A method according to claim 14, wherein said etching gas comprises xenon difluoride.
 20. A method according to claim 14, wherein said feeding step further comprises feeding a mixing gas into said expansion chamber from a source of mixing gas, said source of mixing gas being at said source pressure.
 21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said mixing gas comprises nitrogen.
 22. A method according to claim 20, wherein said feeding step continues until a pressure inside said expansion chamber equals a predetermined set point pressure.
 23. A method according to claim 14, wherein said feeding step continues until a pressure inside said expansion chamber equals a predetermined set point pressure.
 24. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of evacuating said expansion chamber before said feeding step. 25-47. (canceled)
 48. An etching apparatus, comprising: a source of etching gas; an etching chamber in selective fluid communication with said source of etching gas; a flow controller connected between said source of etching gas and said etching chamber; and a vacuum pump in selective fluid communication with said etching chamber.
 49. An etching apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said etching gas comprises xenon difluoride.
 50. An etching apparatus according to claim 48, further comprising a source of mixing gas in selective fluid communication with said etching chamber and a second flow controller connected between said source of mixing gas and said etching chamber.
 51. An etching apparatus according to claim 50, wherein said mixing gas comprises nitrogen.
 52. An etching apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said source of etching gas comprises a vacuum tight container having a mesh mounted in the interior thereof, said mesh being adapted to hold a solid material used to generate said etching gas.
 53. An etching apparatus according to claim 52, where said etching gas comprises xenon difluoride, said solid material comprises xenon difluoride crystals, and said etching gas is generated through sublimation.
 54. An etching apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said mesh has a W-shaped cross section.
 55. An etching apparatus according to claim 54, wherein said vacuum tight container has a cylindrical shape.
 56. An etching apparatus according to claim 55, wherein said vacuum tight container comprises a standard gas cylinder.
 57. An etching apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said mesh comprises a material chosen from the group of consisting of aluminum, stainless steel and Teflon.
 58. An etching apparatus according to claim 53, said mesh having a plurality of openings, each of said openings being sized to be smaller than an average size of said xenon difluoride crystals.
 59. A source for providing a gas by sublimation from a solid material, comprising: a vacuum tight container; and a mesh mounted in the interior of said vacuum tight container, said mesh being adapted to receive and restrain said solid material.
 60. A source according to claim 59, wherein said mesh has a W-shaped cross section.
 61. A source according to claim 59, wherein said mesh has a WW-shaped cross section.
 62. A source according to claim 59, wherein said vacuum tight container has a cylindrical shape.
 63. A source according to claim 62, wherein said vacuum tight container comprises a standard gas cylinder.
 64. A source according to claim 59, wherein said mesh comprises a material chosen from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel and Teflon.
 65. A source for providing an etching gas to an etching apparatus by sublimation from a solid material, comprising: a vacuum tight container; and a mesh mounted in the interior of said vacuum tight container, said mesh being adapted to receive and restrain said solid material.
 66. A source according to claim 65, wherein said etching gas comprises xenon difluoride and said solid material comprises xenon difluoride crystals.
 67. A source according to claim 65, wherein said mesh has a W-shaped cross section.
 68. A source according to claim 65, wherein said mesh has a WW-shaped cross section.
 69. A source according to claim 65, wherein said vacuum tight container has a cylindrical shape.
 70. A source according to claim 69, wherein said vacuum tight container comprises a standard gas cylinder.
 71. A source according to claim 65, wherein said mesh comprises a material chosen from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel and Teflon. 